Self-Care for the Fifth Chakra:
Listen and Be Heard

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            The Fifth Chakra holds the energy and issues surrounding Communication. Often you’ll hear the term speaking your truth, when referring to the Fifth Chakra. While that is a very important part of this energy center, listening, and really paying attention to what someone is communicating (as well as paying attention to what they aren’t saying, and the feeling tone of those words) is an equally important part of this soul center or chakra. Good communication is made up of the two: Expressing Receiving the nuances of communication.

Communication can be challenging. Public speaking is a very common deeply-held fear for the majority of people. Speaking to someone about feelings can be very scary at times. Ghosting is when someone chooses to just disappear than to say (or even text) “I don’t want to interact with you anymore” and face challenging communication and feelings. Sometimes people don’t want to hear or don’t have the capacity to understand what we have to say. Addressing loaded topics, finding the strength and courage to speak about something important to you, or finding the right worlds can be very difficult. It can also be challenging to listen to things that one doesn’t want to hear. It can be challenging, for some, to listen at all. It requires presence and much more. Many people are usually skilled more at speaking or listening. Which is easier for you? While some of these things may come naturally, you will most likely find there is always room to grow. It is now so much more common to text, social media chat or communicate in a way that isn’t physical face to physical face. What does that tell us about our society’s willingness and ability to interface with emotions?

Self-care for this chakra is also really important. The physical and energetic area associated with this chakra is the throat, neck, and jaw and I find it also encompasses the ears. Physical tension, pain, and other issues in these areas may point to issues on an energetic level with this chakra.

Think first, speak (or type) second is always a good rule. It can be a hard one to live by in the heat of the moment. To be able to really speak one’s truth in a way that is compassionate and not reactive, one has to truly know what they think and what they feel. With the busyness of our society, even moments when life might offer an opportunity to go inward to check-in with yourself, the habitual temptations are usually to instead connect outward with the world through technology, i.e. look at one’s phone at social media, the news, texts, listen to music – anything other than be still and listen within. When is there time to even consult one’s own mind or heart to know that something might be bothering us, or why that is? To take even a moment for yourself, to tune-in to yourself is something that requires conscious effort. It is a shifting of gears and direction to hone your senses and energy inward instead of outward. Wanting to make that effort, requires seeing the value of consulting yourself, of “friending” yourself.

The self-care strategy (or reminder) I offer is a simple, powerful one, but it may be difficult at first to do.

Take some time to communicate with your own body, mind, heart and soul in a way that works for you.

• Go for a stroll alone

• Meditate

• Journal

• Sit and linger over a cup of coffee or tea and stare into space

• Talk out loud to yourself while you’re alone (no one has to know!) and actually answer yourself out loud – you might be surprised by your answers!

Consulting yourself about your “truth” – what you think and how you feel about something BEFORE YOU COMMUNICATE ABOUT IT is especially great self-care for the 5^th chakra. This is even more important you know something is bothering you, but you don’t know what or why that is. Communicate with yourself. You have the answers. When you do, it will be much easier to speak (or text or type) from your heart with clarity about something important to you, rather than react in a way you don’t feel so good about later.

You might not say everything as perfectly as you would like, but it’s a good way to start.

Guiding Questions

Simply have a conversation with yourself. It might sound crazy, but try it!

Here are some sample questions that you can choose from:

Hi! ______ (your name, or some other affectionate, kind thing you can call yourself)

How are you today?

What’s on your mind?

How are you feeling?

In general, or

About ___________

About my relationship with _____________

About my this upcoming event _______________

About this thing I keep thinking about ____________

About that dream that is still lingering in my head

About that conversation that I had and what I said

About the song I have stuck in my head

About this issue ___________

The feelings and other things that linger are clues that you are giving yourself. There is usually something deeper to learn and grow from.

Please keep in mind that feelings are nuanced. You might feel proud of yourself and scared, or happy and also sad (bittersweet), or excited and afraid. Just notice.

Then ask – What would you like to do about that, if anything?

NOTE: If you come up with answers that you don’t like, or you are having a hard time coming up with a solution – a few things may be happening.

1. Your nervous system may be activated (Fight and Flight, tense, anxious) and you may need to relax more about the topic before you can consult the deeper wisdom underneath that.
   

   1. If that is so: you may need to do something to relax more about it like:
      

      1. Something grounding: like taking a walk outside, deep breathing, a guided meditation, taking a bath, listening to relaxing music, getting someone to massage your feet (or do it yourself), or getting some body work
         

      2. Interrupt the feeling by focusing on something happy, funny, etc., or doing something else and coming back to it later
         

      3. Do something active – sweat it out so you can think more clearly
         

      4. Work with someone who can hold the space for you and guide you through it: counseling, bodywork, a session with me, etc.
         

2. You might not have the answer yet. But if you ask yourself a question, you will be showing yourself that you are willing to hear the answer(s). The answer(s) will come to you in time.

If you have any questions, I’m here to help!